Escalator structure

ABSTRACT

An escalator structure provided with an improved handrailsupporting and -guiding means in which the mounting for each handrail sheave includes sideplate means which is split from top to bottom into a first portion that is mounted on a sheave bracket and a second portion that is secured in end abutting relationship to the first portion by means of splice plates. A spindle for the sheave is removably mounted in the second portion; and as a result of the split sideplate structure removal and replacement of the sheaves is simplified. Furthermore, mounting of the upper guide for the handrail is improved.

United States Patent Inventors Robert O. Schaefl'er; [56] References Cited L n d R- Lflsalle, J Moline, Ill- UNITED STATES PATENTS p 851,161 1,941,498 1/1934 Shonnard 198/16 Flled Aug-15,1969 R625,53l 3/1964 Fabula 198/16 Patented Mar. 9, 1971 Assignee Montgomery Elevator Company 1 Primary P wegbrelt Attorneyl-lofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord ABSTRACT: An escalator structure provided with an improved handrail-supporting and -guiding means in which the mounting for each handrail sheave includes sideplate means which is split from top to bottom into a first portion that is mounted on a sheave bracket and a second portion that is E $Q secured in end abutting relationship to the first portion by alms rawmg means of splice plates. A spindle for the sheave is removably U.S. Cl 198/16 mounted in the second portion; and as a result of the split Int. Cl B66b 9/14 sideplate structure removal and replacement of the sheaves is Field of Search 198/16, 17, simplified. Furthermore, mounting of the upper guide for the 18, 204; 104/25 handrail is improved.

25 [24 :6 41 28 7 i E 42 Q 21 1 2] I 9 43 25 21$ I 43 I r 34 33 a2 a1 .97 a; 41 35 ESCALATOR STRUCTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For reasons of safety and cleanliness, escalator handrails must be of a structure, and must be supported and guided in such a way, that the moving handrail may neither injure a person using the escalator or soil their person or clothing.

Upon occasion it becomes necessary to remove and replace an escalator handrail or some or all of the supporting and guiding means for the handrail. Such a maintenance procedure may require that one type of handrail be removed and replaced by another type of somewhat different shape, or that the sheaves about which the handrail is trained at the top and bottom of the escalator be replaced with sheaves of somewhat different dimensions from those previously used.

Most prior art escalator structures present difficulties if it becomes necessary to replace one type of handrail with another, or to change from sheaves or sprockets of one size to those of another size.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention an escalator structure is provided which offers limited adjustability in the parts which support the handrail sheaves and upper guide means which support the handrail between the sheaves; and this simplifies the matter of handrail andsheave replacement when needed.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide sheave mounting means which maybe readily adjusted to accommodate sheaves of varying dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting for an upper handrail guide which may be readily varied to accommodate handrails of slightly different dimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an escalator framework showing the supporting and guiding means for the escalator handrail with the escalator trim and omitted;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view on an enlarged scale illustrating the upper sheave mounting which is generally duplicated, but in reverse aspect, for the lower sheave mountmg; I

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially as indicated along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and illustrates the escalator deck, handrail guide and trim, most of which is not actually illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken substantially as indicated along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the trim and decking in the area of the handrail sheave;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially as indicated along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially as indicated along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to FIG. 1, an escalator structure has supporting frame means, indicated generally at 10, that includes upright end posts 11 and 11a, inclined main beams 12 and upper beams 13, inclined posts 14, and various interconnecting structural members such as those indicated by the numerals 15 to 18 inelusive.

A continuous flexible handrail 19 is carried upon handrailsupporting and-guiding means, which includes upper sheave support means, indicated generally at 20, that supports an upper sheave 21, fixed guide means, indicated generally at 22, which surmounts the frame means to support the handrail 19 in its run from a lower sheave (not shown) to the upper sheave 21, and guide rollers 23 for the lower run of the handrail 19 adjacent the upper sheave 21. The structure and mounting of the lower sheave'areessentially the same as those of the top sheave 21 except as will be specifically pointed out hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, and particularly to FIG. 5, the support means 20 for the upper sheave 21 includes a bracket, indicated generally at 24, which has a first end portion 25 that is secured to the upright frame member 11, an upright web 26, and a second end portion 27 which is provided with a threaded hole 28. The first end portion 25 of the bracket 24 has a laterally extending flange 29 to which an angle member 30 is welded so that sideplate means, indicated generally at 31, may be detachable secured to the angle member.

The sideplate means 31 includes a first plate portion 32 which is mounted on the angle member 30 by means of a series of machine screws 33; and in the particular application disclosed in the drawings the first sideplate portion 32 is spaced laterally from the angle member 30 by means of spacers 34. As best seen in FIG. 2, a second sideplate portion 35 is positioned in end abutting relationship with the first sideplate portion 32 along a generally upright line 36, and the two sideplate portions are fastened together by means of splice bars 37 and a splice angle 38 which acts as a stiffener. As seen in FIG. 5, the second side plate portion 35 is slightly offset from the portion 32, and spacers 39 are mounted behind the splice bars 37 and the splice angle 38 to permit this offset.

The second sideplate portion 35 is provided with an opening 40 that is aligned with the hole 28 in the bracket 24, and the opening and hole are impaled by a threaded bolt 41 which screws into the hole 28 and serves as a spindle for the sheave 21.

In order that the sheave mounting means formed by the bracket 24 and the sideplate means 31 may be laterally adjusted to align the sheave 21 with the fixed handrail guide means 22, the bracket is secured to the upright frame member 11 for adjustment laterally of the escalator structure by means of a threaded stud 42 which is welded to the frame member 11 and may receive nuts 43 to lock the bracket and sideplate in any desired adjusted position. As best seen in FIG. 2, a lower margin 44 of the sideplate means 31 rests upon an escalator frame element 45 which supports the sheave mounting assembly 20.

As seen in FIG. 5, the two-part sideplate 31 permits adjustment of the sideplate portions in various ways to provide necessary spacing between bracket 24 and the second plate portion 35 to receive a spindle bolt 41 and journal assembly 41a to properly journal a sheave 21 which has a hub 21a of particular width, even though the peripheral sheave structure such as the circumferential flange 21b for a peripheral handrail drive groove 2lc'may require that the first sideplate portion 32 be laterally offset to provide clearance for the perimeter of the sheave.

In the particular illustrated structure the sheave 21 is the drive sheave, and its hub 21a is provided with a drive sprocket 21d through which the handrail is driven from a power source by a chain (not shown).

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the fixed guide means 22 includes a deck assembly, indicated generally at 46, which is mounted upon the escalator frame by 'means of brackets such as the angle members 47 and 48 in FIG. 1.

The deck-supporting angle members 47 and 48 are seen in FIG. 3 to be wide enough to provide supports for the deck structure 46, and have upper webs 49 upon which the deck structure is mounted. A deck member 50 is provided with a downwardly open flanged cavity 51 which nonrotatably receives the square heads 52 of bolts 53 by means of which the deck 50 is bolted to the web 49. A deck handrail support 54 also has a downwardly open cavity 55 to receive the square heads 56 of bolts 57 by means of which it is bolted to the webs 49.

An escalator outer sideplate 58 has a lower end (not shown) supported on the frame 10 and has an integral right angle flange 59 at its upper end which overlies the outer end portion 50a of the deck 50 and is provided at intervals with downwardly extending fixed threaded studs 60 which impale lower clamping members 61 so that nuts may be threaded onto the studs to clamp the outer sideplate 58 onto the end portion 50a of the deck. Surmounting the deck and overlying an outer flange 54a of the handrail support 54 is a top trim 62 which is bolted to the deck by means of square-headed bolts 63.

An interior panel 64 of the escalator structure which is alongside the treads has its lower end (not shown) supported upon the frame and has its upper end clamped against a downward extension 65 of the handrail support 54 by means of a continuous clamping strip 66 that has integral tapered fingers 67 at intervals which make a drive fit in a tapered recess 68 in the outer portion of the handrail support 54.

The fixed guide means for the handrail 19 includes a continuous guide track 69 around which the handrail fits as seen in FIG. 3, and the track 69 is mounted by means of bolts 70 on a central web 71 of the handrail support 54 and upon inverted U-shaped members 72 which are impaled by the bolts 70.

It will be noted that the lower extremities 19a of the handrail have a very small clearance with the upper end of the handrail support 54, as is necessary to prevent a child from having his fingers caught between the moving handrail and the fixed support. The inverted U-shaped member 72 may be made in various thicknesses, or may be eliminated entirely, in order to provide the necessary close fit between the upper end of the handrail mount 54 and the lower margins 19a of the handrail if it becomes necessary to replace the particular handrail 19 with another handrail of a different depth or shape.

As seen in FIG. 4, the handrail support 54 continues to the point where the handrail makes contact with the upper sheave 21, and the deck structure is curved to extend around the sideplate means 32 and bracket 24 so that the entire sheavesupporting structure is enclosed behind the curved end of the deck structure and between the interior panel 64 and the outside panel 58.

The foregoing detailed description is given for cleamess of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In an escalator structure which includes supporting frame means, handrail-supporting and -guiding means carried on said frame means, said supporting and guiding means comprising sheaves at opposite ends of the frame means and fixed guides surmounting the frame means between said sheaves, and an endless handrail carried on said supporting and guiding means for continuous movement during operation of the escalator, the improvement comprising:

a sheave bracket which extends lengthwise of the structure and has an upright web, said bracket having a first end secured to the frame means and a second end with a hole to receive a spindle for a sheave;

sideplate means mounted in fixed parallel relationship to the web of said bracket, said sideplate means having a first plate portion which is adjacent the first end of the bracket, a separate second plate portion which is adjacent the second end of the bracket and has an opening aligned with the hole in the bracket, and means detachably securing said second portion to said first portion; and

bolt means impaling said opening and said hole, said bolt means being removable from the opening and the hole and providing a spindle for a sheave.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the sheave bracket has a transversely offset upright flange adjacent its first end, and in which the first plate portion of the sideplate means is secured to said flange.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the first plate portion is detachably secured to the offset upright flange of the sheave bracket, and means are provided for varying the lateral position of said first plate portion relative to the flange and to the second plate portion. y

4. The structure of claim 1 in WhlCh the first and second plate portions have abutting ends, and the means detachably securing the second portion to the first portion comprises a plurality of splice bars overlying adjacent parts of both said portions and threaded means impaling the splice bars and both said portions.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which the bolt means is threaded and screws into the hole in the bracket.

6. The structure of claim 1 which includes means mounting the sheave bracket on the frame means for adjustment transversely of the structure.

7. The structure of claim 1 in which the fixed guides which surmount the frame means between the sheaves includes a continuous support member having a central upright web, inverted U-shaped mounting members straddling said web, a continuous guide element overlying said mounting members, and means detachably securing said guide element and said mounting members to said web. 

1. In an escalator structure which includes supporting frame means, handrail-supporting and -guiding means carried on said frame means, said supporting and guiding means comprising sheaves at opposite ends of the frame means and fixed guides surmounting the frame means between said sheaves, and an endless handrail carried on said supporting and guiding means for continuous movement during operation of the escalator, the improvement comprising: a sheave bracket which extends lengthwise of the structure and has an upright web, said bracket having a first end secured to the frame means and a second end with a hole to receive a spindle for a sheave; sideplate means mounted in fixed parallel relationship to the web of said bracket, said sideplate means having a first plate portion which is adjacent the first end of the bRacket, a separate second plate portion which is adjacent the second end of the bracket and has an opening aligned with the hole in the bracket, and means detachably securing said second portion to said first portion; and bolt means impaling said opening and said hole, said bolt means being removable from the opening and the hole and providing a spindle for a sheave.
 2. The structure of claim 1 in which the sheave bracket has a transversely offset upright flange adjacent its first end, and in which the first plate portion of the sideplate means is secured to said flange.
 3. The structure of claim 2 in which the first plate portion is detachably secured to the offset upright flange of the sheave bracket, and means are provided for varying the lateral position of said first plate portion relative to the flange and to the second plate portion.
 4. The structure of claim 1 in which the first and second plate portions have abutting ends, and the means detachably securing the second portion to the first portion comprises a plurality of splice bars overlying adjacent parts of both said portions and threaded means impaling the splice bars and both said portions.
 5. The structure of claim 1 in which the bolt means is threaded and screws into the hole in the bracket.
 6. The structure of claim 1 which includes means mounting the sheave bracket on the frame means for adjustment transversely of the structure.
 7. The structure of claim 1 in which the fixed guides which surmount the frame means between the sheaves includes a continuous support member having a central upright web, inverted U-shaped mounting members straddling said web, a continuous guide element overlying said mounting members, and means detachably securing said guide element and said mounting members to said web. 